1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the treatment of liquids and slurries and, more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a method and apparatus for destroying bacteria in liquids and for reducing the particle size of insoluble materials in slurries.
2. Description of the Related Art
My U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,521 discloses a pair of vortex nozzles employed to alter the molecular array of any liquid passed therethrough to disentrain gases and agglomerate solids. The vortex nozzles are positioned in opposed relationship and impart a rotation to a liquid passing therethrough. The vortex nozzles expel the rotated liquid streams at a high velocity to collide the two streams at approximately halfway between the vortex nozzle outlets. The collision between the rotated streams creates compression waves throughout the liquid that, coupled with the high velocity of the rotated streams, imparts a large amount of kinetic energy to the molecules of the liquid, gases entrained in the liquid, and the minerals dissolved in the liquid. In addition, the compression waves produce a shearing action that aids in tearing apart the molecular structure of the liquid. Thus, the compression waves and resulting increase in kinetic energy facilitates the breaking of the bonds between the individual liquid molecules, the liquid molecules and the entrained gases, and the liquid molecules and the dissolved minerals.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,702 attempts to improve over my U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,521 by providing each vortex nozzle with at least one pair of slots that extend through the walls of the vortex nozzles. Each individual slot communicates with a chamber about the vortex nozzles that, in turn, communicates with the exit stream of the vortex nozzles through a conduit. The addition of the slots to the vortex nozzles enhances the release of entrained gases and the agglomeration of minerals by removing a fraction of the liquid from the rotating streams as they circulate about the vortex nozzles prior to expulsion. In removing a small portion of the liquid from the two streams rotating about the vortex nozzles, the slots bleed-off liquid molecules as well as many of the free electrons and elemental ions created through the collision of the two counter-rotating streams. The slots in removing the liquid molecules, free electrons, and ions from the two rotating streams enhance the ability of the compressional waves to further separate the liquid into its constituent parts because their removal weakens the bonds of the molecules remaining in the rotating streams.
While both my U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,261,521 and 5,318,702 are effective in releasing entrained gases and agglomerating minerals in suspension, it has been determined that increasing the velocity of the rotated streams will increase the effectiveness of the vortex nozzles in releasing entrained cases and agglomerating minerals. In addition, an increase in the velocity of the rotated streams facilitates the destruction of bacteria in liquids. The increased velocity of the rotated streams enlarges the compression waves to a point where they rapidly expand and contract the bacteria. That rapid expansion and contraction ruptures the cell structure of the bacteria, thereby destroying them.
My U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,913 improves over my U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,261,521 and 5,318,702 by providing a vortex nozzle unit that increases the velocity of the rotated streams. The vortex nozzle unit consists of a first pair of vortex nozzles including a first vortex nozzle cascaded with a second and a second pair of vortex nozzles including a third vortex nozzle cascaded with a fourth. Each of the four vortex nozzles receives liquid through an inlet and imparts a rotation to the liquid as it passes therethrough. The rotated liquid streams of the first and second vortex nozzles combine in the second vortex nozzle to create a single high velocity liquid stream. Similarly, the rotated liquid streams of the third and fourth vortex nozzles combine in the fourth vortex nozzle to create a single high velocity liquid stream. The first and second cascaded pairs of vortex nozzles are positioned in opposed relationship so that their high velocity liquid streams collide at approximately the mid-point of a chamber housing the cascaded pairs of vortex nozzles. The collision of the liquid streams at an increased velocity creates increased amplitude compression waves throughout the liquid that more effectively disentrains gases and agglomerates solids and, further, destroys bacteria within the liquid. Although the cascaded pairs of vortex nozzles destroy bacteria within liquids, it has been determined that an even further increase in the velocity of the liquid streams and corresponding increase in the amplitude of the compression waves is necessary to effectively eliminate bacteria from liquids.